Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a method allowing quick placement and quick removal of golf grips onto a golf club. Quick change of golf grips allow golfers to try different golf grips on golf clubs before purchasing one. Quick change of golf grips further allows easy replacement of worn golf grips. Present methods to change a golf grip requires cutting off a golf grip, removing adhesive tape, reapplying adhesive tape, applying a slippery agent such as acetone and sliding on a new grip.
An internal core within a golf grip allows a grip to slide easily onto a golf club shaft. A golf grip must slide onto a golf shaft and be stiff enough to resist twisting and rotational movement. Present golf grip cores are not rigid for this reason. A non-rigid golf core using adhesion to a golf shaft to prevent twisting and rotational movement. A rigid core does not adapt to different golf shaft shapes.
The present invention further allows perfect placement of a golf grip. If a golf grip is placed onto a golf club shaft and it is discovered to be misaligned, it is easily repositioned. It is further designed to allow different placement that makes a golf club longer or shorter.
Description of Concurrent Art
Golf grips aid a golfer in holding a golf club. Golf clubs include drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putters. Present grips come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, materials, textures, tapers, and the like. It is difficult to evaluate which grip fits a golfer's hand best and works best as a golfer cannot try them on a golf club and strike balls. Presently, a golfer evaluates how a grip feels in their hand with no golf club attached to the grip. If a golfer likes the feel of a grip in their hand, the grip is permanently attached to a club. If grips are attached to a golfer's clubs and they do not like them, it is an expensive and time consuming process to replace them. If a golf grip is positioned such that the golfer does not like the position, it cannot be changed.
Present technology to change a golf grip requires cutting off a golf grip, removing adhesive tape, reapplying adhesive tape, applying a slippery agent such as acetone and sliding on a new grip. The process is complex enough that most golfers do not change their own grips but have professionals do it for them. Professional regripping is expensive and time consuming. The process makes it difficult for a golfer to effectively evaluate grips. Present golf grip core structures do not adapt to different shaft shapes.
It would be advantageous to have grips that simply slide onto a shaft, are rigid to resist twisting, provide some adherence during use and adapt to different shaft shapes. It would be advantageous to have a technique that allows grips to be placed and removed in seconds for better selection at point of purchase and ease of replacement. It would be further advantageous for a golfer to be able to adjust a grips position as required to perfect alignment with the club head or adjust a club length.
Present golf grips are solid rubber. The outer surface is often modified for appearance or identification by printing directly on rubber or printing on a rubber sheet and adding it over the surface. Present core structures used with golf grips are a solid structure. In one version, a core is adhered onto a golf shaft and interchangeable golf grips built over a matching core. The inside core cannot adapt to different shaft shapes resulting in fracture at time of placement or during use.
Present golf grips are adhered to a golf shaft using double sided adhesive tape. Tape is applied to a golf shaft. A slippery agent is placed onto the tape. A golf grip is placed onto the shaft while the slippery agent is present. The slippery agent evaporates quickly so a golfer must work quickly and hope golf grip alignment and general placement is correct. Adhesive technology provides resistance to forces placed onto a grip shaft interface so a golf shaft does not move within a grip during use.
A golf grip is constructed with elastomeric materials. Compressive force from grip expansion and frictional resistance of a grips inner surface onto a golf shaft determines how much force is required to place a grip onto a shaft. Force required for grip placement is altered by grip inner diameter, altered elasticity of grip material or utilization of slippery agents such as acetone on adhesive tape.
Previous patents reveal splits in a shaft to aid in expansion. The splits are usually the full length of a core. The long splits of these patents do not allow full adaptation as variation in diameter occurs on a shaft but the core diameter stays the same throughout. The present invention allows differential expansion and therefore different diameters along its length. In addition, open slots with rubber material extending into them are used in advanced versions.